Prevalence Of Osteolysis Research Articles

Specific Complications of the Mobile-Bearing Total Knee Prosthesis

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is considered as a standard procedure for the treatment of the severe degenerative knee joint. The outcomes of TKA have improved over the last few decades because of a better understanding of design features and surgical techniques. Contemporary tibial component designs in TKA can be subdivided into two groups (fixed or mobile-bearing) on the basis of different fundamental principles. The mobile-bearing knee is designed with better biomechanical concepts than the fixed-bearing knee, in terms of providing congruity and mobility of tibial bearing. It is expected that the mobile-bearing knee could resolve the problems of component wear and component loosening as seen in fixed-bearing knees. However, the long-term durability of mobile-bearing knees has not been extensively proven to have better outcomes than that of fixed-bearing knees. There are some potential clinical complications of mobile-bearing knees that must be addressed. On the basis of our previous clinical experience and a retrieval analysis, this article summarizes five specific complications including (1) early or late dislocation of the mobile-bearing component, (2) failure or dislodging of the meniscal bearing, (3) hemarthrosis associated with a failure of the meniscal-bearing knee, (4) failure of the patellar component, and (5) higher prevalence of osteolysis. Before taking advantage of mobile bearing, we should consider these specific clinical complications, which were not found in the fixed-bearing TKA.

Intermediate Results of Simultaneous Alumina-on-Alumina Bearing and Alumina-on-Highly Cross-Linked Polyethylene Bearing Total Hip Arthroplasties

This study compared the clinical and radiographic results and the prevalence of osteolysis between alumina-on-alumina and alumina-on-highly cross-linked polyethylene bearings after cementless total hip arthroplasties in the 100 patients younger than 50 years of age. There were 66 men and 34 women; the mean age at the time of surgery was 45.3 years (range, 25 to 49 years). The mean duration of follow-up was 5.6 years (range, five to seven years). The pre-and postoperative Harris hip scores were similar (39 and 41 points, respectively and 93 points and 94 points, respectively). No acetabular or femoral component had aseptic loosening in either group. The mean annual penetration of the highly cross-linked polyethylene was 0.06 ± 0.03 mm. No hip in either group had acetabular or femoral osteolysis.

Total Hip Arthroplasty with Ceramic-on-Ceramic Articulation: Minimum 5-year Follow-up Results

Purpose : To evaluate the medium-term clinical and radiographic results of uncemented total hip arthroplasty with ceramic-on-ceramic articulation. Materials and Methods : From February 1999 to August 2000, fifty-two primary total hip arthroplasties were performed on forty-two patients using a ceramic-on-ceramic bearing implant. The mean follow-up period was 5.4 years (range, 5-6.6 years) and the mean age at surgery was 43.2 years (range, 19-66 years). The clinical results were evaluated using the Harris hip score. The radiographic evaluations were carried out in terms of the stability of the components, the prevalence of osteolysis and wear. Results : At the most recent follow-up, the mean preoperative Harris hip score improved from 63 points (range, 26-93 points) to 97 points (range, 82-100 points). The Harris hip score showed excellent results in 49 hips (94%) and good results in 3 hips (6%). Fixation by bone ingrowth was noted in all cases and there was no case with osteolysis or a deep infection. Ceramic wear was not detectable on the plain radiograph. Complications included one case of dislocation, one case of a fracture of the ceramic femoral head and one case of an intraoperative periprosthetic proximal femoral crack. Conclusion : Ceramic-on-ceramic articulation showed excellent clinical and radiographic results in terms of wear, osteolysis and loosening. A further follow-up study should be performed to evaluate the long-term clinical and radiographic results with special focus on the fracture of the ceramic material.

Ceramic-on-Ceramic Bearing Total Hip Arthroplasty in Young Patients with Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head

Purpose: To evaluate the short-term clinical and radiographic results associated with use of the ceramicon-ceramic articulation uncemented total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients less than fifty years old with osteonecrosis of femoral head. Materials and Methods: Sixty-eight THAs with use of the ceramic-on-ceramic articulation were performed in fifty-nine patients who were younger than fifty years old with the implantation of an uncemented plasma coated Plasma cup and Bicontact stem. All patients were available for complete clinical and radiographic analysis after a mean duration of a follow-up of 31.6 months (range; 24-50 months). The average age of the patients at the index operation was 39.4 years (range; 16-49 years). Preoperative diagnosis was osteonecrosis of femoral head in all hips. The causative factors were idiopathic in twenty-one hips; alcohol abuse in twenty-eight hips, steroid in eleven hips, and posttraumatic in eight hips. Clinical evaluation was done by Harris Hip score (HHS). Radiographic evaluation was done in terms of stability of components and prevalence of osteolysis. Results: The mean preoperative HHS of 61 points improved to 95 points at the time of the final follow-up. Excellent results were found in 57 hips (84%), good results were 11 hips (16%). No acetabular or femoral components were loosened radiographically. There was no evidence of osteolysis. There were two postoperative dislocation, one intraoperative femoral fissuring, and one transient sciatic nerve palsy. Conclusion: Short-term clinical and radiographic results associated with use of the ceramic-on-ceramic articulation uncemented THA in patients less than fifty years old with osteonecrosis of femoral head were excellent. However, longer-term follow up is needed.

Relationship between polyethylene wear and osteolysis in hips with a second-generation porous-coated cementless cup after seven years of follow-up.

The development of osteolysis, a commonly reported complication after total hip arthroplasty without cement, is perceived to be related to the amount of polyethylene particles generated from the bearing surfaces. Although the literature has suggested that the prevalence of osteolysis increases with increasing rates of polyethylene wear, this relationship has never been quantified. The goals of this study were to quantify the relationship between the prevalence of osteolysis and both linear and volumetric wear and to evaluate the risk of osteolysis as a function of wear in a currently used, porous-coated cup design. Polyethylene wear and osteolysis were examined in fifty-six hips with a Duraloc-100 acetabular cup articulating with a 28-mm femoral head. Penetration of the prosthetic head into the polyethylene liner was measured, with use of a validated computer-assisted technique, from anteroposterior pelvic radiographs of each patient. From these measurements, linear and volumetric wear rates were calculated. Each patient's series of radiographs was examined independently for the presence of osteolysis. A logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the risk of osteolysis associated with a given change in linear or volumetric wear rate. Osteolysis was found in twenty-three of the fifty-six hips. The hips with osteolysis had significantly higher linear (p < 0.001) and volumetric (p = 0.003) wear rates than the hips without osteolysis. Logistic regression revealed that every 0.1-mm/yr increase in the linear wear rate increased the likelihood of the development of osteolysis by a factor of four. Each 40-mm (3) /yr increase in volumetric wear raised the risk of osteolysis by about three times. To our knowledge, this study represents the first time that the relationship between polyethylene wear, as determined by both linear wear and volumetric wear, and the prevalence of osteolysis has been quantified. The use of the linear wear rate as a predictor of osteolysis can be a valuable tool in assessing the longevity of a particular implant. The results of our analysis provide quantitative support to the observation that a wear rate of 0.2 mm/yr seems to represent a "critical threshold" for the development of osteolysis. Close radiographic monitoring with the determination of linear wear rates to assess the risk of osteolysis is recommended for all patients after total hip arthroplasty.

Total hip arthroplasty in adult patients who had childhood infection of the hip.

Adult patients with a history of infection of the hip in childhood present a challenge as candidates for total hip arthroplasty because of abnormal bone development, soft-tissue contractures, the possibility of reinfection, and their relative youth. The purpose of this study was to analyze the mid-term results of primary total hip arthroplasty in adult patients who had had infection of the hip in childhood. We retrospectively analyzed 170 total hip arthroplasties that had been performed between 1983 and 1996 in patients who had had infection of the hip during childhood. Forty-seven hips had cemented or hybrid total hip replacements, and 123 hips had cementless total hip replacements. The age of the patients at the time that the infection was contracted was an average of 7.3 years (range, one to eleven years). The average age of the patients at the time of the index total hip arthroplasty was 41.9 years in the cemented or hybrid group and 42.7 years in the cementless group. The interval between active infection and arthroplasty was 34.9 years in the cemented or hybrid group and 31.9 years in the cementless group. All but two hips (one patient) had a quiescent period of infection of more than ten years. The average duration of follow-up was 9.8 years (range, seven to seventeen years) in the cemented or hybrid group and 10.8 years (range, seven to seventeen years) in the cementless group. All hips with a quiescent period of more than ten years had no recurrence of infection. The remaining two hips in one patient with a quiescent period of seven years had recurrence of the infection. The mean Harris hip scores improved from 50 points preoperatively to 85 points at the latest follow-up examination in the cemented or hybrid group and from 50 points preoperatively to 89 points at the latest follow-up examination in the cementless group. Eight (17%) of forty-seven hips with cemented or hybrid fixation and eighteen (15%) of 123 hips with cementless fixation had revision of both components because of aseptic loosening and/or osteolysis. The mean rate of linear wear of the polyethylene was 0.25 mm per year in the cemented or hybrid group and 0.29 mm per year in the cementless group. The prevalence of osteolysis was 53% (twenty-five of forty-seven hips) in the cemented or hybrid group and 59% (seventy-two of 123 hips) in the cementless group. There was no recurrence of infection after total hip arthroplasty in the patients with a quiescent period of infection of more than ten years. These young, active patients with technically difficult arthroplasties were at considerable risk for aseptic loosening. The prevalence of polyethylene wear and osteolysis was attributable to the less than optimal prosthetic designs and materials used during the time-period of this study.

OSTEOLYSIS IN FAILED TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY

Osteolysis is an important complication associated with total knee arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of osteolysis after failed total knee arthroplasty with a mobile-bearing prosthesis and after failed arthroplasty with a fixed-bearing prosthesis. Eighty revision total knee arthroplasties performed between 1995 and 1998 were included in this study. All had radiographic evidence of advanced polyethylene wear. The mobile-bearing group consisted of thirty-four knees with a Low Contact Stress implant, and the fixed-bearing group included forty-six knees. The average time (and standard deviation) from the primary operation to the revision was 102.8 +/- 26.5 months in the mobile-bearing group and 96.0 +/- 30.1 months in the fixed-bearing group. The prerevision radiographs and operative findings were reviewed. The prevalence of osteolysis was significantly higher in the mobile-bearing group (47%; sixteen of thirty-four knees) than in the fixed-bearing group (13%; six of forty-six knees) (p = 0.003). The distal part of the femur was involved in thirteen knees in the mobile-bearing group and in four knees in the fixed-bearing group. Seventeen knees had osteolysis in the posterior aspect of the femoral condyle, which was the most common site of osteolysis; however, twelve of them had no evidence of osteolysis on prerevision radiographs. The prevalence of osteolysis was higher in the knees with a mobile-bearing prosthesis than in those with a fixed-bearing prosthesis. The osteolysis was predominantly on the femoral side, adjacent to the posterior aspect of the condyle. Radiographic evaluation of osteolysis in the distal part of the femur may not be reliable and usually leads to an underestimation of the degree of osteolysis.

Relationship of Acetabular Wear to Osteolysis and Loosening in Total Hip Arthroplasty

Polyethylene wear and the subsequent development of periprosthetic osteolysis are the major factors limiting the longevity of total hip arthroplasties. A minority eventually loosen, but no clinically applicable system exists for accurate early prediction of failure. The relationship between acetabular wear and the development of loosening, osteolysis, and revision was investigated in 235 Charnley low friction arthroplasties. The average age of the patient at surgery was 31.7 years (range, 17-39 years), and the duration of followup averaged 234 months (19.5 years; range, 74-364 months). Total wear averaged 2.1 mm (range, 0-7.2 mm), and the average wear rate was 0.11 mm per year (range, 0-0.55 mm/year), with the wear rate of revised components being twice that of surviving ones (0.19 mm/year versus 0.09 mm/year). The prevalence of osteolysis (33 hips, 14%) and of acetabular and femoral component loosening and revision rose significantly with increasing wear. Osteolysis also was associated significantly with femoral component loosening and revision, but the presence of calcar changes was not (90 hips, 38%). Twenty-five year survivorship exceeded 90% for arthroplasties with a wear rate less than 0.1 mm per year, but 20-year survivorship of acetabular components with a rate greater than 0.2 mm per year was below 30%, and none survived 25 years. For every additional millimeter of wear, the risk of acetabular revision in any one year increased by 45% and for the femur increased by 32%.

Total hip arthroplasty with porous-coated prostheses fixed without cement in patients who are sixty-five years of age or older.

We reviewed the results of 212 total hip arthroplasties performed without cement in 203 unselected, consecutive patients who were sixty-five years of age or older. The outcome was known for 196 hips, thirty-seven of which had been followed until the death of the patient and 159 of which had been followed for a minimum of five years. A reoperation was done in 4 percent (seven) of the 196 hips. These reoperations included one revision because of loosening of the stem and five revisions of the cup. Three of the acetabular revisions were done because of fracture due to polyethylene wear; one, because of recurrent dislocation; and one, because of polyethylene wear and a fracture due to lysis. In the seventh reoperation, a cup and stem were exchanged because of infection. The probability that a hip prosthesis would survive twelve years without a reoperation was 0.92 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.85 to 0.99). We evaluated the clinical results for 152 patients who had not had a reoperation and had been followed for at least five years (mean, 8.5 years; range, five to fourteen years). Of these patients, thirteen (9 percent) had pain that limited activity: five (3 percent) had pain in the thigh (four patients) or groin (one patient), and eight (5 percent) had trochanteric pain and tenderness. One hundred and forty-four (95 percent) of the patients noted an improvement in overall function, and 149 (98 percent) reported satisfaction with the outcome. One hundred and thirty-five hips that were not revised were followed radiographically for at least five years (mean, 8.2 years; range, five to fourteen years). In this group, osteolysis was observed in three hips (2 percent); loosening of the cup, in three (2 percent); and loosening of the stem, in one (1 percent). Stress-shielding was seen on the two-year postoperative radiographs of forty-five (26 percent) of the 174 hips that were followed for at least that duration. The prevalence of osteolysis, loosening of a component, and reoperations was no greater in this subgroup than in the overall group. These results indicate that total hip arthroplasty without cement can be successful in older patients. This study also provides a reference for comparison with the results of total hip arthroplasty performed with cement and those of so-called hybrid total hip arthroplasty (an acetabular component fixed without cement and a femoral component fixed with cement) in patients who are sixty-five years of age or older.

Fixation with bioabsorbable pins in chevron bunionectomy.

Fixation with bioabsorbable pins in distal chevron bunionectomy reduces the inconvenience and the risk of infection associated with fixation with stainless-steel Kirschner wires, which leaves a portion of the wires protruding from the skin. However, use of bioabsorbable implants has been reported to be associated with osteolysis and formation of a sinus with a sterile discharge. We studied the outcome and complications seen with use of poly-p-dioxanone pins and those seen with use of stainless-steel Kirschner wires after chevron bunionectomy in 114 patients (144 feet). We found no difference between the treatment groups with regard to the prevalence of complications or the stability of fixation. Notably, the prevalence of osteolysis was quite similar between the treatment groups; none of the feet that had had fixation with bioabsorbable pins had formation of a sinus with a sterile discharge. We believe that bioabsorbable pins can be used reliably to fix the site of the osteotomy for a distal chevron bunionectomy without undue risk of osteolysis or other complications.

The porous-coated anatomic total hip prosthesis: failure of the metal-backed acetabular component.

One hundred and ninety-nine total hip arthroplasties were performed, between 1983 and 1987, in 173 patients by three surgeons using the initial design of the porous-coated anatomic prosthesis. The acetabular component was a preassembled, metal-backed polyethylene device, with beads sintered to the metal backing to allow bone ingrowth and two pegs for initial fixation. Twenty-three acetabular components (12 percent) failed because of either migration or severe osteolysis. The radiographic appearance of osteolysis was positively associated with the duration that the implant had been in situ (p < 0.001). The prevalence of osteolysis was also significantly greater in acetabular components with an outer diameter of fifty-five millimeters or less (a polyethylene thickness of 8.5 millimeters or less) (p = 0.03). Thirteen hips were revised at a mean of 69.5 months (range, thirty-three to ninety-one months) after the index operation. Examination of the retrieved acetabular components revealed extensive polyethylene damage on the articular and back surfaces of the liners. Cracks in the polyethylene rim of the liner and deformation of the anti-rotation notch in the polyethylene rim were common findings. The density of the polyethylene was greater than expected, and more particles than anticipated had not fused with the surrounding polyethylene. The results of this study suggest that factors related to both the design and the material contributed to the failure of these porous-coated anatomic acetabular components.